Lusting for Trouble
by Rhythmic5
Summary: Trouble never tasted so sweet. He's immortal, dangerous, and down right gorgeous...but getting with him could be the death of her-literally. Can Ellie resist him? Edward/OC. The summary's kinda weak...just give it a shot. DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

A/N

This is my second fanfic, and I love Twilight, so I'm gonna give it my best shot. The first few chapters are just giving you background on my original character...but the Cullens will make their appearance soon enough. Let me know whatcha think!

I do not own Twilight or any of its characters...sad days.

* * *

Refugee

Fat raindrops pelted my window as I leaned against it, my forehead resting on the cool glass. It felt good on my hot skin. I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh. _She's getting married. Again._ I spun around in my chair to look into the mirror on my closet door. I huffed at my reflection, my face still flushed from the argument. I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing.

"_It won't hurt to just be nice to him, Ellie. I know he's not your father, but he is my…friend. And you can give him a little respect," my mother shouted, hesitating on the word 'friend'._

_"But I do! Not once since he's been here have I NOT treated him with the utmost respect," I replied crossing my arms in front of me to keep from hitting the table._

_"Then explain why every time I am not in the room with you two, Sean gets verbally attacked!"_

_Then I couldn't help it. I planted my fist into the table. "I really don't understand what you're talking about. I have never used one foul word against him, and you know it. I'm done here," I huffed, flashing a glare at Sean as he entered the room. I stormed down the hall to my room and shut the door, locking it behind me._

Just thinking about the argument that occurred just an hour ago made my blood boil. My mom's boyfriend had been visiting quite frequently since they met in January. Now it was May, and he decided that he wanted to claim her for his own. My first thought was that he seemed nice enough. He wasn't rude or offensive to me or my siblings, and he was actually pretty cool. But for some reason, he was getting vibes from me that didn't exist. He was constantly telling my mom that I mouthed off to him or was disrespectful to him in some way, which is one thing I didn't understand.

I lived in a single story, three-bedroom house with my mom and my brother, Tyler. My older sister, Cameron, had moved out years ago when she moved to the city for college. Before then, she and I shared my room. My mom divorced my dad when I was twelve, forcing him to move away to Arlington, which is a good two hour drive from Whitney. I'm guessing that was a deciding factor in where Cameron went to college. If she went to Forth Worth, she would be closer to our dad…and further from Sean.

A knock on my door shook me from my thoughts. "El, can I come in?" my mother asked.

"Sure," I said as I got up to unlock the door and let her in. The moment she looked at me I could tell she was still angry with me.

"I just got off the phone with your aunt. She's planning Braiden's sixteenth birthday and was asking me for them e ideas. I thought that since you're the better planner around here that you should talk to her. I told her you would call her in a few."

That kind of threw me off. I half expected her to come in and argue some more, but hearing that my aunt (my favorite part of the extended family from Washington) had called was a bit of a relief. She wanted me to help her plan Braiden's party? Everyone knew I was not a big party person, but as my mom said, I was decent with making plans. "I guess I'll call her then," I said, walking out my door and leaving my mom standing in the middle of my room. I strode into the kitchen and dialed the Kent household number. There was an answer after two rings.

"Hello?"

"Esther,hey! You wanted me to give you a ring?"

"El! I'm so glad to hear from you. Yea, we're trying to plan a sweet sixteen party for Braiden, and I am stumped on ideas. Can you help?"

"Well, I can try. Do you have an idea for a theme?"

"I have one idea…tell me what you think. Braiden and his friends have a newfound obsession with some video game called "Guitar Hero", so I thought I might go with a rock star theme. How does that sound," she asked. I could hear her grinning through her voice.

"Hmm, yea I've played Guitar Hero. That's actually not a bad idea." We ran through some other ideas for the party and then she threw a question at me that I wasn't expecting.

"So, how are you coping with Sean's proposal to your mother?"

There was a short silence before I decided to respond. "Not well. I can't seem to understand why after living with just the three of us for so many years, she has to remarry now. I just can't make myself believe that she's marrying him because she loves him."

"I guess the more appropriate question would be, how are you two getting along?" she said, emphasizing the word 'along'.

"Well I thought we were getting along fine, but apparently…according to _him_, I'm a pain in the ass." I heard my aunt giggle at my slip.

"So now we get to the real reason why I wanted you to call me. Your mother has been mentioning to your uncle how unhappy you seem to be now that she and Sean are getting closer. And I was thinking maybe you could take a break from the boondocks and come stay with us for a while. The kids would love to see you, and your uncle and I would be thrilled to have you."

Ah. So that's what this phone call was really about. I thought about the offer. It would be nice to see my cousins again. And I could get away from the chaos of my mother's engagement. I could easily kill two birds with one stone. A change in scenery would be nice, too.

"Gee, it would be nice to see y'all again. I haven't seen you guys since Grandma passed away. I think I could stand to get away for a while, although I'm not sure why you're calling Whitney the boondocks. Do you really think Forks is any different?" I teased.

"Forks is a glorious town, dear niece. You just don't have any true appreciation," she chuckled, "Please come stay with us! We could go camping, and I'm sure Gail will want to take you shopping in Port Angeles... maybe even Seattle. We can fly you in. You won't even have to worry about your air fare."

"Seriously, like, you would pay for my trip up there? Well, what am I waiting for? I should start packing now. When do you want me?"

"Hmm…let me talk to your mom for a bit so we can make some arrangements."

* * *

**~ One month later~**

My eyes darted around the airport, looking for the familiar faces of my aunt and uncle. It had been a disgustingly boring flight from Dallas to Seattle, but luckily I was able to take a little siesta on the plane. I was smart enough to only pack one suitcase and carry a backpack on the plane so I didn't have too much to lug around. I then caught sight of my uncle's smiling face.

"El! Girl, how have you been? It's been too long," my uncle Gerald said, scooping me up into a hug. He stood a good few inches above me, being 6'2". He pulled away, ruffling my hair and smiling down at me. Gerald had always been one of my favorite relatives. I liked to call him Gerry.

"I've been great! I know it's been too long, everything has been so different since Grandma passed. It seems like we never make trips to Forks anymore now that it's just Grandpa," I said as I caught Aunt Esther flashing a smile my way.

"How was your flight? I hope it wasn't too dull, even though it was a long trip. Let's get you to the house so your cousins can maul you," Gerald chuckled, taking my suitcase and rolling it behind him. Esther slung her arm around my shoulder and we walked side by side behind Gerald.

The drive to Forks was only about an hour (with the way Gerry drove), and we talked most of the time while I gazed out the window. They asked me about school and getting ready to graduate, what my plans were for after graduation, and what college I was interested in. I kind of answered their questions half-consciously since I was awed by the scenery we were passing. The fur trees were so tall and thick, almost blue in color. The mist that clung to the air was almost eerie. Yet at the same time there was almost an ethereal feel to the place. The feeling of being home, or at least a second home, fluttered into my stomach as we pulled up the gravel drive to the Kent's place. The house was obscured by dogwoods and furs, and I wouldn't have known a house was there if it wasn't for the glowing lamps shining through the foliage. Soon we had passed the trees and Gerald turned off the engine. I leapt out of the car with my backpack and stood by the car, turning in a complete circle to see the place. The house hadn't changed a bit since I was last here, and the only difference in the shed was the new Ford F-250 parked outside. That must have been Andrew's. He was always into pickups. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard a smooth voice.

"Well, look who decided to leave the boonies to come see us. Guys, Cuz is here!" cried my cousin Abigail (who is called Gail for short). I turned to see her standing at the top of the porch steps. She was still as pretty as she was last time I saw her. She stood slender at 5'8" with wavy red hair. Her skin was pale with a healthy flush in her cheeks. Her emerald green eyes were piercing mine, even from five feet away. When we made eye contact her perfect pink lips pulled back to show me a smile of pearly white teeth. She ran to me and threw her arms around me. I then heard a stampede of footsteps behind us and turned to see Andrew, Braiden, and William behind her. She pulled away and looked at me, a contemplative look gracing her features. The boys did the same.

"What? Did I grow two more heads or something?" I asked, confused as to why they were staring at me.

"In only three years, you've blossomed. Absolutely blossomed," Andrew said, smiling. His entire face lit up when he did that. And he wondered why he was so popular with the ladies.

"Oh, come on. I look just the same as I did then. I just got a little taller," I shrugged, waving away the compliment.

"No, you really have gotten prettier, Cuz. Not to say you weren't pretty then, it's just that…well, you've become a young woman, I guess you could say," Gail said, punching me lightly in the shoulder. Never since I had known her had Gail ever been a timid, gentle girl. I guess that's what having three brothers did to you. I blushed at the compliment and had to turn away as I noticed the rest of the family nodding in agreement.

"How does Rib-eye sound to everybody? I feel like fixing something good for Ellie's first night here," Gerald said.

"Aw, Uncle Gerry, you don't have to do that."

"But I want to. It's been kind of a hectic week here for all of us, and we could all use a nice dinner," he said, getting a grin of agreement from his wife. "I'll get the grill going. Why don't you guys get Ellie settled in."

"On it," Braiden said, giving his dad a mock salute. "You know where your room is, let's get inside before the bottom falls out again," he eyed the clouds suspiciously. They did look a little heavier than usual, even for Washington. We trampled inside, climbing the stairs to the second floor where the bedrooms were. At the end of the hall was my room, with two windows that looked out at a stream. The room had an earthy theme to it. The walls were made of cedar paneling, and everything was either cedar, forest green or blue. The floor was wooden, with a bear hide rug in the middle. Gerald had always been a big hunter, and the interior décor of the house was proof. I went straight to my desk to plug in my laptop. I had only been away from home for a few hours, and already my mom had emailed me. Oddly, it only consisted of a few sentences:

Hey Ellie,

Just wanted to make sure you found your aunt and uncle in the airport. Hope you have fun.

-Mom

Normally she wrote me a freaking novel when she wrote, and always signed it with an "I Love You". I guess Sean really was brainwashing her. I suddenly felt guilty for leaving my brother at home with them. Andrew had evidently been reading over my shoulder, because I heard a loud huff behind me.

"She's gone through a lot of changes, hasn't she?" He asked, rereading the email with his face set in a deep frown.

"Yea, apparently within the last year she decided that we weren't enough for her," I replied bitterly.

"I still don't understand what was wrong with Allen. He was nothing but loving and supportive of her, and you kids."

"I don't think she ever really cared about Dad. Her eyes always looked dead and empty when they were together."

"Well, maybe she got married for the wrong reasons. That happens more often than you realize," he added thoughtfully. All I did was shrug in response as I finished unloading my suitcase. We both jumped as a bright flash of lightning jumped across the room as the windows rattled. Seconds later, rain started pelting the windows.

"Hmm…a big thunderstorm, loud rain, our favorite cousin in town for a visit…sounds like the ideal recipe for a sleepover in the den," Abigail announced waltzing into the bedroom. "Any takers?"

"Only if I pick the movie. No chick flicks this time. You and your friend almost killed us last time with _Pride and Prejudice_," Andrew said, grimacing.

"Sounds good to me, but I'm with Drew. No chick flicks. That's just a little too much fluff for me," I agreed, getting a disapproving look from Gail. Even though she was no girly girl, she still liked the soppy mushy gushy romance movies. We moved down to the den and scattered quilts and pillows on the floor. Andrew and Braiden decided on _Without A Paddle, _and we fell asleep shortly after the ending credits rolled onto the screen.

I remember lying on the carpet, wrapped up in my quilt like a cocoon and staring up at the ceiling. It was white with sparkles in it, held up by dark maple beams. As I lied there, I thought about seeing the look on my mom's face as I disappeared through the terminal. She didn't even look concerned by the fact that I was going to be hundreds of miles from home for the summer. She didn't even look like she cared. I remember seeing the way she sank backwards into Sean, whose arms were around her waist. Something just wasn't right here.

* * *

Let me know what you think! I hope it wasn't too much of a drag...

~Rhythmic5


	2. Chapter 2

Illusion?

I awoke to the smell of bacon frying and biscuits baking. "Damn, I forgot that Gerry could cook." He always cooked the meals, since he preferred home cooking over fast food, and Esther never had time to cook since she spent most of her time working at the hospital. She was a nurse in the Delivery unit.

I rolled out of my quilt cocoon and stumbled to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and combing out my hair, which at the moment closely resembled a rat's nest. After that I dashed to my room to change into a pair of faded jeans and a navy blue long-sleeved shirt…I had always liked blue. Then I walked into the kitchen where I found everyone sitting either at the table or at the bar, fixing plates.

"My God, it's alive…" Andrew said, feigning shock as he stared at me. I responded by throwing the newspaper at him. "Thanks, I was looking for that," he grinned mischievously.

"Yo, Cuz. I'm glad you came to visit. Sorry I wasn't here when you got here last night. I was…at a friend's house," William greeted me, patting me on the back.

"Don't let him lie to you, El. He was in town, visiting his girlfriend," Braiden said, grinning sideways at William. I winked at Braiden, turning to face William.

"Liam Maverick! You didn't tell me you had a sweetie," I said, teasing him. "Tell me, son, what's she like?" I smirked in triumph as I watched him turn four shades of red. His cheeks were matching his fiery red hair at the moment.

"She's actually my lab partner." He said, looking down at his eggs like he wanted to crawl into them and hide.

"Yes, his 'Lab Partner'," Gail joked, making the punctuation marks in the air with her fingers. William hurled a biscuit at her, huffing when she smoothly dodged it. She then turned to face me, and I suddenly felt very nervous after seeing the twinkle in her eyes.

"What are you thinking?...Or do I want to know?" I asked, having a feeling what she was about to say.

"Grab your purse, we're going shopping."

"Seriously? I just got here, and you want to drag me around shops and blow money?"

The boys snorted into their plates, looking up to see Gail's reaction. She just stared blankly at me, unsurprised.

"Yes, we're going shopping. In Port Angeles. I don't think you're ready for Seattle yet. Don't worry, we don't go for anything big. Mainly just window shopping and maybe we can grab ice cream or smoothies while we're out. I'm mainly just going for some girl time, since we haven't hung out for a few years. Not to mention, you have blossomed into a goddess, and we need to get you some new threads to show it off with."

Just shopping. I can handle that. "Okay, when are we leaving," I asked, trying my best to ignore the compliment.

"Let's get our purses, I can go warm up the car, and then we'll head out," Gail said, standing to carry her plate to the sink. I ran to my room to get my purse, throw on a light jacket, and met her downstairs. She had brushed out her hair and applied some eye makeup while I was away. It should be against the law to be that naturally beautiful.

Driving to town was fun. We jammed out on the radio, singing aloud and rolling the windows down. I forgot how much fun it was to sing with her. She always sang the melody and I would jump in with harmonies…we were just that good. After about an hour of driving and singing, we pulled into a shopping outlet parking lot. We walked into a small boutique, because Gail wanted to torture me. We strolled in, glancing over the racks. I found a cute jacket, and was looking through to see if they had my size, when someone else reached for the same jacket. Our hands touched and I just about jumped out of my skin when they did. Jesus, she was freezing!

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there," I apologized, turning to face the girl beside me. She was about a foot shorter than me, and dang. She looked like a freaking model. She had porcelain skin with a slender, delicate form. Her hair was short, spiky, and pitch black..she pulled off the pixie cut perfectly. I got distracted by her eyes, though. They were the most unusual color I had ever seen. Amber, almost gold.

"Oh, no you're fine. I wasn't paying attention," She replied, smiling and waving her hand as to dismiss my accident. She kind of backed away so as not to run into me again. I wondered why her skin was so cold. "I'm Alice. And I totally don't mean to be rude or anything, but are you new around here? I practically live here because I come to shop so much, and I've never seen you."

"Oh, I'm not from around here, just visiting some family."

"Oh, Alice. It's nice to see you. I see you've met my cousin, Ellie," Gail said introducing me. She gave me a side-hug while keeping direct eye contact with Alice. Alice just smiled back politely.

"It's nice to meet you, Ellie. And it was pleasant running into you as well, Gail. But I really must be going. You two ladies have a nice day," she smiled as she hurried away. She didn't even buy anything, she headed straight to the entrance and left, looking back at us over her shoulder as she exited. I just watched her as she left.

"She's an interesting one. Her entire bunch is, actually. They're all so…different," Gail nodded, still holding her arm around me.

"Is she from Forks?" I asked, still seeing her hazel eyes in my mind.

"Yea, she's in my class actually. Polite girl, always friendly when addressed, just slightly anti-social. Her and her family just sort of stay to themselves. I never have been able to put my finger on it, but there is something odd about them." She then wandered off and came back with a blouse in hand. "Did you find anything you can't live without?"

I looked back at the jacket and remembered touching her ice cold hand, shivering. "Nah, nothing catches my eye here. Where to next?"

"I dunno. I was kinda thinking we could grab some lunch. And I know of a great little hamburger joint just a few blocks down," she said as she handed the cashier some cash before walking out the door.

I felt it the moment I walked through the door. Sure, it was a pretty chilly day and the wind was blowing straight into my face, but that wasn't it. A strange chill shot straight down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I stopped dead in my tracks, receiving a funny look from Gail when she stopped to look at me. I ignored the raised brow and looked behind me. At first I didn't see anything…just cars in a half-empty parking lot on a Sunday afternoon. And then I saw them…two women, almost statuesque in stance. Both pale as snow, yet beautiful. One with long blonde hair, and the other I recognized as Alice, the chick I had bumped into in the boutique. It wouldn't have felt awkward if it hadn't been for the fact that both of them were staring me down. That was just freaky as hell. Gail, seeing my creeped out expression, turned to look too. She then grabbed my forearm and started walking away quickly, dragging me behind her.

"On second thought, let's just drive thru somewhere and head back. Something is up, and I'm getting a creepy vibe," she said quickly, digging for her keys. I turned my head to look back at them, but they were gone. Freaky as hell.

We drove through a Taco Bell and hit the highway heading back to Forks. Once we got back into town we both felt a little better, and Gail got a text from Andrew telling us to meet him downtown. We met him at a small family-owned deli. We walked in to see him already sitting at a booth, sipping on some lemonade.

"So how was your day of being drug through shops?" He said more to me than Gail, smirking. When Gail glared at him, he slurped on his lemonade innocently.

Before I could say anything she blurted out, "We ran into Alice Cullen. _And _caught her and her sister staring at us afterwards." This got a reaction from Andrew.

"Oh, Rosalie? What a fox. Ow!" he whined after Gail smacked him upside the head. "So they were just staring at you?"

"Yup. Openly. But when I looked back, they were gone. Out of thin air. G-O-N-E. Gone," I added.

"Weird. That whole bunch is strange. Who knows...Mom asked that we bring her some lunch, and I told her we would stop by for a bit," Andrew said, checking his watch. He ordered a sandwich for her and we all piled into his truck, heading to the hospital. We parked in the hour express parking, since we wouldn't be long. Gail slid open her phone and dialed Esther's number as we walked through the sliding glass doors.

"Hey, mom, yea we just walked in. The lobby? Oh, ok, I see you," she smiled as she slid her phone shut and dropped it into her purse. We followed her as she walked toward the lobby and passed a huge fish tank full of brightly colored fish. On the other side we found mom chatting with a very good looking doctor.

"We gotcha a patty melt. And Jalapeño chips. Your favorite," Andrew said handing her the brown deli bag. She waved at us as she took the bag. The doctor beside her instantly looked up at me, his eyes growing wide.

"Oh," she laughed, "I'm sorry. Carlisle, this is my niece from Texas, Ellie Martens. Ellie, this is Carlisle Cullen, one of our leading doctors on the staff," she said looking from me to him. She was probably wondering why we were staring at each other so oddly. I was only staring at him because he was looking at me like he'd seen a phantom.

"Well, your aunt has told me so many pleasant things about you, Miss foster. I'm glad that we finally have the chance to meet," he wiped the shock off his face and smiled, extending his hand forward to shake. I flinched, feeling that his hand was just as cold as Alice's had been. He must have sensed my discomfort because he dropped my hand to look at his watch. Then I felt a chill rip down my spine. This time the feeling came from behind me. I watched as Dr. Cullen glanced behind me and smiled.

"Hey, Dad. I'm heading back home. Mom wanted me to help her with something," he said, eyeing me before looking back to Carlisle. Had he been standing there the entire time? Did I just not notice him?

"Alright, drive careful. Thanks for coming to see me during my break," he winked, stepping forward to hug his son. The guy turned to walk towards the exit, glancing back at me before walking out. This day was just way too weird.

"I think we're going to follow his lead, Mom. We need to get out of here so you can get back to work," Gail said as she gave Esther and hug and a kiss on the cheek. Andrew did the same, and I waved, being to creeped out to make any big movements.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Foster. I hope we meet again," Carlisle smiled, showing me a set of perfect, snow white teeth.

"You too, Dr. Cullen. Have a nice day," I managed as I gave him a polite wave. I'm glad I could cover well. The three of us waved and walked out the sliding glass doors, making a mad dash to the car. The minute we were all inside, Andrew and Gail looked at each other and then at me.

"What the HECK is going on today?" Gail squeaked out, shaking out her hands.

"I have no idea, but I've never seen a reaction like that from Dr. Cullen, and I've never seen Emmett act that way either," Andrew said, grasping the steering wheel and watching the hospital entrance. I kept silent and stared out the window at nothing in particular, thinking over the day's events. Meeting Alice and touching her ice cold hand. Turning to find the two sisters staring me down, and then seeing them disappear. Meeting Dr. Cullen and seeing the strange reactions from both him and the guy Andrew called Emmett. What was up with this family, and what was it about me that bothered them? I was extremely relieved when we went back to the deli parking lot, changed cars, and headed back to the house. The minute I stepped in the front door, I ran up the stairs and dove into my bed. What a day, What a day.

* * *

A/N

So this is actually my first fanfic. I began writing this one before I even started writing my Prince Caspian fic. If it doesn't flow very well or something just doesn't seem right, that's why. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

~Rhythmic5


	3. Chapter 3

Déjà vu

I had fallen asleep after getting home that afternoon. The day's happenings had been just a little too weird, and I fell asleep the minute I landed on my bed. I woke up to the sound of yelling. Someone was pissed, which was uncommon in this house. Everyone was usually so cheerful and I couldn't remember the last time I witnessed a fight. I heard the sound of the phone being slammed onto the counter. Jesus, what was going on today?

I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to find Gerald leaning against the counter, his face in his hands. His face was as red as his hair, which was just a shade lighter than Gail's and William's. He heard me enter and turned to face me, suddenly looking torn. I tilted my head and leaned against the doorframe with my arms crossed. This was an unusual sight, too.

"What's wrong, Gerry?" I had never seen my uncle like this. Never.

"I just got off the phone with your mother, Ellie. And it's not good," he said, tearing his gaze away from me and looking at the counter. He let out a loud sigh and stomped his foot. "I really don't know who she is anymore. My sister is not in that shell of a woman."

"So I'm not the only one who feels that way. What a relief," I said, letting him know that he wasn't the only one concerned, not to mention confused.

"She and Sean have set a date for the wedding, and she said that you have until that day to get your stuff out of your room. She said you are no longer her responsibility and anything in your room after the date of the wedding is being thrown to the curb," he said, his voice getting louder towards the end as he slammed his fist on the counter. "I don't know what's going on with her. I can't _believe_ she is throwing you out. All because that bastard knows you're smart enough to see past his plastic charm." I had never heard my uncle curse before either. Wow.

"So what do I do now?" I hadn't even finished school yet, and I was already kicked out on my own. I was staring a whole in the floor, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to spill out of my eyes. I felt Gerald's arms close around me.

"Well, you have until July 24th to go back and get anything you want to keep, and then you'll fly back here. We'll enroll you in school here, make your room a little more permanent and act like nothing happened."

"I can't stay here… I don't want to impose on you guys."

"You won't be. Remember, we were the ones who asked you to come here for the summer. We _knew_ you needed an escape, and we knew that we were the closest ones for you to go to. Believe me, by staying with us you are not imposing in the least bit," he said, ruffling my hair as he picked up the phone again and wandered to the patio window. I guessed that he was calling Esther, and I was right. I turned around to find everybody looking at me. They all looked either angry or sad, and Gail gave me a tight hug.

"Well, I guess that means you're stuck with me,"she said trying to lighten up the mood. I looked at the calendar by the phone jack. Today was June 12th, almost a month until my deadline to move out of my mom's house. For some reason, I wasn't that disappointed that I had to move out.

* * *

~July 18th-Days before Mom's wedding~

I set the last of the boxes on the curb beside the trash. I had completely cleared out my room, leaving only the furniture. I figured Mom would want to sell that. But I did the honor of putting everything else out with the trash. The few things I wanted to keep I tucked into two suitcases, setting most of my clothing out at the curb. Esther said she would take me shopping for anything else I needed. Gerald came with me to help me move out, mainly because he wanted to meet the moron that my mom was marrying. He was probably hoping he would be given a reason to knock his daylights out, knowing he was the reason I was having to move out of my own home. I walked out of my room with my suitcases in hand, walking straight into my mom as she stood in the hall. She just glared at me like she was waiting for me to leave. I looked back at her with an uncaring, blank look and walked out with Gerald on my heels. No words were said. No goodbyes, nothing. Gerald and I hopped into a cab and rode back to the airport. I wasn't the least bit surprised that neither Mom nor Sean, who were both at home, offered to drive us to the airport. I boarded the plane, leaving Dallas and never looking back. I instantly slid open my phone, typing a text to my brother and sister. "I'm going back to Forks, take care of yourselves. I'll visit soon. I love you."

When we landed in Seattle, Andrew picked us up. He was in a really good mood, because he was singing along to the radio while Gerald and I just laughed. Andrew's voice was pretty much all falsetto and it was hilarious…not that it wasn't good, it was just hilarious.

"I need to make a stop at the music store before we leave Seattle," he said before loudly singing, "I GOT MY HASH PIPE," and rocking out to the music again. Gerald and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing, pretending not to know him. We pulled into a shopping outlet, and Andrew pretty much dove out of the truck to go into the shop. Gerald and I got out and followed him, only at a much slower pace. When we walked in we saw him dancing around the rack containing guitar strings. I walked over to a rack holding folders of sheet music. I spotted one for violin and picked it up, leafing through it. I had been playing since I was seven, even though I mostly just played fiddle. I placed it back in its proper slot and then wandered over to the pianos, admiring the baby grand's. They were so shiny, so flawless looking. I was afraid that they would shatter if I touched them. But temptation got the better of me and I trailed a finger along the glossy black surface. I watched as my finger left a smudgy trail behind it.

Someone started playing on the piano behind me, and they were pretty damn good. I wished I could play like that. I turned around and felt my jaw hit the floor. A guy was sitting on the piano bench, playing. He was pale white, with the perfect face. He had brown hair, or maybe it was bronze…I couldn't really tell. My _God_, he was beautiful. The notes he was playing were almost as beautiful as he was. Before I realized it, I was walking towards him to read over his shoulder, when I realized he wasn't reading any music. He was playing it by heart. He felt my presence, and looked up at me, not missing a note. Honey amber eyes gazed up at me through long brown lashes, and my breath caught in my throat. Never had I ever seen eyes that color. I mean, one of my best friends back home was graced with violet eyes, but amber? Maybe they were contacts...

"Do you play?" he asked, with the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. It was smooth, like velvet, and _oh_ so tempting. I couldn't blink, much less breathe. He noticed, because he chuckled lightly. That sound was even more alluring than his voice. I managed to get out a few words.

"No, I've always wanted to learn. All I play is violin and clarinet. Piano is next on my list, if that counts," I smiled, watching his fingers fly across the keys. His eyes never left mine. Then he stopped playing.

"Forgive me, where are my manners?" he shook his head, rising from the bench to stand before me. This guy was almost as tall as Gerald was. His height was comforting in a way, whether it makes sense or not. I watched him stand up, in awe, and accidentally dropped my bag. He dropped to pick it up in a movement that was so quick I would have missed had I blinked. He stood and handed it back to me. "Here you are. I'm Edward,"he handed me my bag and he flashed me a breathtaking smile.

I don't know how I managed it, but I was able to breathe. "I'm Ellie. Thank you for handing me my bag. I don't know what's with me today…I seem to be more clutsy than usual," I giggled, smiling back. I then felt Andrew's hand on my shoulder, pulling me backward.

"Hey, Ellie, let's get outta here. I need to get back to Forks, this city is _killing_ me,"he said dangling his bag of guitar strings in front of my face. I swatted at it and laughed. I looked back at Edward to see him glaring at Andrew. If looks could kill…

"Hello, Andrew. How nice to see you," he almost seethed, his eyes not leaving Andrew's hand on my shoulder. Andrew looked up at Edward with the same look in his eyes.

"Well hello, Edward. What a coincidence to find you in Seattle? What brings you out of the woods?" he said, tightening his grip on my arm.

"My piano is a little old and I'm shopping for a replacement, though I could ask you the same."

"My original purpose here was to pick up my dad and Ellie, who you seem to have met, from the airport. I just thought I would stop in for a few guitar strings before heading home. Not that it's any of your concern." I shuddered as I watched the staring match between the two boys. It was giving me chills the way Edward was glaring at Andrew, and the way Andrew responded. I've never heard such hostility from him. I heard Gerald's voice coming up behind us.

"Alright, kids, let's hit the road,"he said slapping Andrew's back. Then he looked up and saw Edward. "Edward! Well it is a small world! How are you?" Edward snapped out of the hatred he was feeling towards my cousin and smiled at Gerald.

"I'm great, Mr. Kent. Indeed it is a small world. I was just discussing that with your son." He seemed to spit on the last word.

"Ah, and I see you've met Ellie. She's new in Forks. She'll be joining you two at school this coming year," he said patting me on the back. I smiled at him and then looked back at Edward, who was now looking at me with soft eyes. If it wasn't for feeling my uncles hand on my back and Andrew's still clasped on to my arm, I would have gotten lost in his golden eyes.

"Well, Dad, I guess we should be going. Mom might freak if we're not home before dark,"he said, trying to hide the quiver in his voice. His face was still flushed as he glared at Edward.

"You're right. Let's hit it, kids. It was nice running into you, Edward,"Gerald said, nodding his head to him and turning to leave.

"You too, Mr. Kent. Take care,"he said, his eyes showing respect to my uncle. That made me wonder. Why did he like my uncle, yet hate my cousin?

"I hope we meet again, Ellie," he then said, his suave voice lulling me to his attention. His eyes twinkled as he smiled at me. I felt like melting on the spot. Damn. All I could do was smile back. Andrew pulled me away, leading me out of the store. I looked behind me, hoping to see Edward watching me leave. But he wasn't there. Déjà vu.

Andrew unlocked the truck before we were even halfway across the parking lot. It was evident that he was ready to get out of here. As I was stepping into the truck, I got goosebumps. That chill shot down my spine yet again. This time my head jerked around looking behind me, to see just cars. I saw a woman pushing a baby in a shopping basket, the baby giggling as she nuzzled him with her nose. There wasn't anything unusual about that. I looked down at my lap, thinking. Then I looked to my left, out towards the street. I saw a silver car parked two lanes down from us. Then I saw him. I immediately recognized the feeling dancing in my pores as the feeling of being watched. I could see him leaning against his car, his palms on the hood, facing me. And then I met his eyes. Even though we were about thirty-five feet apart, I could feel his golden eyes piercing into mine. I shivered as I shut the door, not breaking the contact. The engine roared and Andrew sped out of the parking lot. When I looked out the back window, Edward was gone.

* * *

A/N

So, a few of you have told me that you're enjoying the story. Dudes...and dudettes, I need more reviews. If you want me to continue this story, I'm going to need to hear from you. If you like it and want to read more, tell me. If you think it sucks and think I should just kill it now, tell me.

Peace,

Rhythmic5


	4. Chapter 4

Shock

**Edward's POV**

I closed my eyes, letting the sweet music float to my ears. I didn't need to see the keys, because my fingers knew them as if I had been practicing for decades. Hahaha, _oh_ the irony. Moonlight Sonata was one of my favorites, and I sighed as the soothing yet haunting melody washed over me. I opened my eyes to see if anybody was paying attention. No one was. The music shop was fairly empty on this Sunday afternoon. I caught movement in the corner of my eye and turned to see someone familiar walk down an aisle that displayed acoustic guitars. I recognized him to be Gerald Kent, the husband of one of Carlisle's nurses at the hospital. I smiled to myself. Gerald and Esther Kent had always been lovely people. I went to school with their children, but didn't know them well. I wondered what Mr. Kent was doing in a music shop.

I then felt a presence behind me. Not that that was unusual…I could always tell when a human was near. I could _smell_ them,_hear _their thoughts, _feel _their body heat. But whoever was behind me was different. The smell of lavender vanilla filled my head. Different. I felt a wave of heat collide with my back. Normal. But I couldn't hear anything…nothing except gentle breathing. A female. Soft footsteps walked along beside me and approached the side of the baby grand I was playing. I looked up at her, continuing to play. When our eyes met, her eyes grew wide and I heard her gasp. I inwardly grimaced. I couldn't stand to see people's reactions to me. They knew I was different, and they treated me thus, which was mainly why my family and I usually stayed to ourselves when away from home.

"Do you play?"I asked, smiling politely. She was listening intently to my playing, and she seemed to be enjoying it. A small smile graced her perfect pink lips as she watching my fingers sweep over the keys, plucking chord after chord.

She then looked up to meet my eyes again, and with a deep southern accent she almost whispered, "No, I've always wanted to learn. All I play is violin and clarinet. Piano is next on my list, if that counts." She grinned again, her gray eyes lit up, almost silver. Were they silver? I could see accents of blue and green…hazel eyes. I then realized I had stopped playing and that I was staring at her, so I stood from the bench, shaking my head to myself.

"Forgive me, where are my manners?"I stood, flashing her another smile as I gazed into her eyes some more. Hazel eyes weren't that uncommon, but hers were _beautiful_. They were a pleasant change to the usual amber eyes that I saw at home. I'm not sure if I surprised her or if she was just a little clutzy, because she dropped her bag. In a swift movement I picked it up and handed it to her. "Here you are. I'm Edward."

"I'm Ellie. Thank you for handing me my bag. I don't know what's with me today. I seem to be more clutsy than usual,"she giggled, filling the air with a sweet tune. It sent shock up my spine. Who _is_ this girl? I didn't even notice that a guy walked up to her, grabbing her shoulder. I looked up to see Mr. Kent's oldest son, Andrew. My eyes flashed back to his hand on Ellie's shoulder, and something in me flared.

"Hey, El, let's get outta here. I need to get back to Forks, this city is _killing_ me," he said, dangling his purchase in front of her face. She playfully swatted at it and laughed. Andrew must have felt my glare, because he looked up and mirrored my expression.

"Hello, Andrew. How nice to see you," I seethed, trying to keep control in my voice. I had never had anything against any of the Kent family, but seeing the way his hand clutched onto Ellie irked me. For some reason I felt like he was intruding on us, and trying to take her away from me. _Away from me?_ I had _just_ met her. Why did I feel like I needed her presence? Ellie looked from me to Andrew, her eyebrows arching in surprise.

"Well hello, Edward. What a coincidence to find you in Seattle? What brings you out of the woods?" He answered, his grip tightening on Ellie's shoulder so tightly that the fabric of her jacket crinkled. The flame growing inside me grew a little hotter.

"My piano is a little old and I'm shopping for a replacement, though I could ask you the same."

"My original purpose here was to pick up my dad and Ellie, who you seem to have met, from the airport. I just thought I would stop in for a few guitar strings before heading home. Not that it's any of your concern." He fired back at me, his teeth gritting lightly. I felt a shudder from Ellie and looked up to see her silver eyes darting between me and Andrew. Then I saw Mr. Kent walk up. He pretended to ignore our confrontation.

He lightly slapped his son on the back. "Alright, kids, let's hit the road," then he looked up at me and smiled politely," "Edward! Well it is a small world! How are you?"

I snapped out of my glare at Andrew to smile back and nod my head. I'm great, Mr. Kent. Indeed it is a small world. I was just discussing that with your son." I said, throwing a glare back at the sandy haired stick whose hand was still clamped onto Ellie. His eyes narrowed at me.

"Ah, and I see you've met Ellie. She's new in Forks. She'll be joining you two at school this coming year," Mr. Whitacre grinned as he patted Ellie on the back. She smiled sweetly at him, turning to look back at me. So she's new? And she's going to be living in Forks. Something in me relaxed as I realized she wasn't leaving town. My eyes met hers and I felt a little light headed as she smiled at me again. What was it about this human girl that was making my head spin?

"Well, Dad, I guess we should be going. Mom might freak if we're not home before dark," Andrew said, a light quiver in his voice. I could tell he was trying to hide it, but he was failing miserably. His brown eyes stood out against his crimson cheeks. So he wasn't the only one who struck a chord today. Something about my talking to Ellie upset him. Were they _together_? The flame within me flared dangerously, shooting sparks through my stagnant veins.

"You're right. Let's hit it, kids. It was nice running into you, Edward," Mr. Kent nodded to me, turning to leave.

"You too, Mr. Kent. Take care,"I replied, with soaring respect. I then looked back to Ellie, who was looking down at her hands. "I hope we meet again, Ellie," I smiled at her, marveling at the way her name rolled off of my tongue. She seemed to be lost for words and just smiled back. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and her smile lit up her entire face. That shock shot up my spine again.

I watched as Andrew pulled her out of the store, memorizing the sound of her soft footsteps and the gentle whisper of her hair bouncing against her back. Something inside me pulled, and I felt the desire to see her as she left. I dashed out the side door of the shop and reached my car, flashing my eyes across the half-empty parking lot. I spotted her, sitting in the backseat of a black Ford F-250. She quickly turned to look behind her, and then looked back at her lap, her lips forming a contemplative frown. At that moment I knew she could feel me. Something else different about her. I leaned against my car, releasing a frustrated sigh. I pinned my arms on the hood, my palms laying flat. I turned to look at her again, some thirty-five feet away. She felt me, because she looked up to meet my gaze. The feeling of her eyes piercing my skin sent that shock up my spine for a third time and I felt a little dizzy. This girl wasn't just a normal human girl. Never had anyone had an effect on me like this. I gazed back at her, feeling the need to break away, but not having the ability to. She shut the door as the truck's engine revved. The truck sped out of the parking lot, and I slipped into the driver's seat of my Volvo, speeding away the second the engine started. I flew down the highway and didn't stop till I heard the crackling of the gravel beneath my tires.

I had been in a daze since I left Seattle. I kept replaying the vision of Ellie's silky voice, her tinkling laugh, and the way her eyes made my granite skin tingle. The last time I felt this way was a hundred and fourteen years ago…two years before I changed. And even then, the feeling wasn't nearly strong as it was now. Of course, it's possible that I couldn't remember the feeling clearly as it was a faded human memory. I turned off the engine, walking out of the garage and lowering the door behind me. I walked into the family room of the large pristine white home. I strode straight to the glass wall looking out at the stream behind the house. I stared at nothing in particular, just letting the day's events replay. I was jolted from my thoughts when I heard Alice walk up behind me.

"So what did you think of her," she stated more than asked. She stood still with her arms crossed in front of her. Her amber eyes stared blankly at me waiting for a response, though she knew exactly what I would say.

"She's not normal."

This got a snort in response. "Look who's talking."

"You know what I mean. She's not like most humans," I said, rolling my eyes at her.

"She has a grace that not many have. Human features, but non-human grace…even though she seemed to have lost her bearings in your presence," She snickered, one corner of her lips pulling upward into a smirk.

I grinned at the memory. Other than dropping her bag, she did carry herself in a most peculiar way. She didn't have the stance or carriage of an ordinary American teenage girl…or like any other. She stood as if it would take more than a typhoon to make her sway, as delicate as she looked. Her confidence was evident.

"Her stride is exceptionally smooth, as well," Rosalie piped in, inviting herself into the conversation as she crossed the room. Her face was thoughtful. "We met her a month ago while checking out a few shops in Port Angeles. Well, technically Alice met her. But we both saw her leave the shop with the Kent chick. The difference in their gates was evident. As Gail walked, Ellie seemed to glide.

Emmett entered the room and immediately took his place by Rosalie's side, a feeling of contentment settling about the room. Rosalie smiled and relaxed as Emmet curled his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. He listened to our discussion and then added, "She's a good actress, too. I was visiting Carlisle when she walked in with two of the Kent kids. They had brought lunch to Mrs. Kent, who was sitting in the lobby with Carlisle. When she introduced Ellie to him, he stared at her as if she'd grown three heads or something. She was thinking something too, but she carried on a steady conversation with him, never letting on that she was unsettled. So Carlisle knows something, that's my guess."

I wondered. "Was she with Andrew when she came to the hospital?" I hoped that it wasn't the case. But I knew it was.

"Yea, she was with him and the chick…the senior class spitfire. Apparently they're cousins," he said, giving me instant relief. So she _wasn't _with the sandy-haired stick. He just didn't like the idea of her talking to me. That's normal, I guess. Most people did try to avoid any contact with us, naturally…even though they don't know the reason why. My rigid body relaxed considerably, and Alice noticed.

"You like her, don'tcha," she teased, smirking.

"She may have caught my eye," I said nonchalantly.

"I think she did a little more than catch your eye, dude. I think she's got your name scribbled on her forehead," Emmett chuckled and dodged he punch I threw at him, aiming to avoid Rosalie. He danced behind her, guffawing like a gremlin.

"You know it's not like that," I said, averting my gaze to the glass wall. It didn't matter how beautiful she was, or how different she seemed to be. She was still human. No one said anything in response. A silence fell over us. Then the front door opened and our heads snapped around to see Carlisle walking in, his coat in one arm, a suitcase in the other. His brows arched when he saw us huddled together. Esme came in behind him, fern fronds cradled in her arms. She stuck them in a vase by the door and scurried over to us, showering us with hugs and kisses. Even though she wasn't our mother, she made us feel like she was. Esme was the mother that none of us could have, and we were the sons and daughters she could never have. When she got to me she left one arm draped around me, playing with my hair. That was unusual. She _knew _something, probably because Carlisle told her. I watched as he came over to stand beside Alice, his blue eyes scanning over all of us.

"How was work, Carlisle?" Emmett asked from behind Rosalie.

"Slow. Nothing much happened today. I spent most of my time just visiting the usual patients. However, I did meet someone interesting today," he said unwrapping his scarf from around his neck and tossing it beside his folded coat on the sofa. We all perked our ears up at the mention of meeting someone. He caught it and his eyes twinkled. "I was chatting in the lobby with one of my nurses during lunch hour. Esther Kent, to be specific. Her kids brought her lunch, accompanied by a young lady who I knew was not hers. She stood out against them like a rose in a cottonfield. Her brown hair and medium tan contrasted greatly against her cousins' red hair and fair skin, that was an obvious difference. But there was something else there. As their footsteps clapped against the tile floor of the lobby, hers lightly patted it. Their scents of pine needles and honey mixed with her scent of lavender vanilla. When I addressed them, they looked at me as if they meant to keep a safe distance…the way a deer shies from a hunter. But when I introduced myself to Ellie, I saw the intrigue in her eyes. The tone of her voice was gentle and soft, inviting my attention.

"Now be honest, getting that reaction from a female isn't uncommon," I joked. He winked at me and waved me off.

"It wasn't the lustful greeting of a woman seeking an affair. It was the greeting of a curious young lady who knows I am more than I seem. She is _perceptive_, much more so than most others of her kind," finished as he glanced at me, a knowing look in his eyes. The last thing I saw before jumping out the window was four pairs of golden eyes digging into me. But I didn't care. I needed to feel the wind blowing through my hair as I ran through the woods, feathery branches brushing against my skin.

* * *

A/N

So yeeeaaa, I had to put up another chapter. I swear, I'm addicted. Hopefully this chapter is a lil more interesting than the previous ones. Please review, peeps.

~Rhythmic5


	5. Chapter 5

Attack

I woke up to the crack of thunder outside my windows. The light showing through the fogged windows was dim, but it was too light out to be night. I rolled onto my side, looking at the alarm clock. Eight-thirty-seven a.m., it read. I sighed.

Usually when it rained I would sleep forever. I flipped onto my stomach, shoving my head beneath my pillow. _I should still be asleep now_. I figured everyone else must have been, because I hadn't been drug out of bed by any of my cousins. I clamped my eyes closed, trying to will myself to go back to sleep. I sighed again. No luck. So I rolled out from under my thick down comforter and drug myself to my dresser. I randomly pulled out a dark blue pair of sweats and a purple long-sleeved shirt. I through them on and ran my brush through my hair, staggering to the bathroom to brush my teeth and splash water on my face. After patting my face dry, I hung the washcloth on the rack and looked at my reflection. My hair was laying perfectly straight, and my eyes looked grey against my purple top. But there was something different about my face. Something about the way my eyes stared back at me through the glass. I shook my head and shivered, walking back to my room to throw on a sweater. Jesus, it was cold.

When I walked into the living room, William was doing a crossword from the newspaper. No one else was in there, so I figured that my earlier assumption was correct. He smiled at me. "Morning, El. I'm glad someone else is up besides me. It's too quiet in this house."

"So what made you wake up? Why aren't you still snoozing like everyone else?" I asked as I took a seat across from him. He slid the paper to me. It happened to be the Arts section, so I opened it and started scanning.

"The thunder woke me up, oddly. Normally I crash when it rains…but apparently not this morning," he shrugged, taking a bite of an apple. I jumped as two hands touched my shoulders. I turned around to find Braiden holding his stomach and laughing hysterically.

"Man, someone's jumpy. I barely touched you, Cuz," he said in between laughs.

"I don't know why I'm so spooked. I'm just getting a weird vibe this morning. Something feels…off," I said, grinning at him and narrowing my eyes.

"You're all up early," Esther's voice chimed cheerfully. We all turned around to see her picking out a skillet to start preparing breakfast.

"It's nine o' clock. That's not _that_ early."

"Normally it wouldn't be, but it's raining. I figured you three would be sawing logs still," she winked at me as I got up to help her with the toast. I took a slice of bread and buttered it, popping it into the toaster. I stood waiting for it to pop back out, and looked out the kitchen window. The rain was falling pretty heavily, and I could hear a low rumble of thunder in the distance. Just then, lightning flashed and lit up the kitchen. The toast popped out and I set it on a plate, sticking another piece in. Gail walked into the kitchen, ruffling William's hair and getting a frustrated, "Dang it, Gail!"

She chuckled. "Oh, don't get your panties all in a wad. You're not going anywhere, no one cares what your hair looks like. Geez, you never cared until two years ago," she teased as she skipped to my side to help with the toast. She glanced out the window and groaned. "I wish it wasn't raining so much. I was kinda in the mood for a ride today."

Esther, who was setting a platter of bacon and sausage on the table, came to stand behind us as we looked out the half-fogged window. "Maybe if it lets up a little we can go after lunch. I bet the horses could use a ride. Maybe we can all go."

Soon Andrew and Gerald came down to join us for breakfast, and the meal was spent laughing together with the occasional bacon strip being hurled across the table by William. It almost always smacked Braiden in the forehead. That would be followed by a round of laughing from the rest of us, including Gerald, and a light scolding from Esther, even though she couldn't keep a straight face.

The rest of the morning we each did our own thing, except for me and Gail. We were in her room, sprawled across the floor, painting pictures with acrylic paint and sketch paper. And of course, having "girl talk".

"So, did you leave a boyfriend behind when you came here?" Gail asked, slapping orange paint on her painting.

"Nope. Nothing's changed in the love department, just friends… Amanda, Nicole, and Lane," I answered, giving my butterfly a few soft strokes of lilac. Since when did I draw _butterflies_?

"Since I've known you, you've NEVER had a boyfriend. But that's all going to change here…I'll hook you up." Gail's eyes twinkled mischievously. I looked up at her, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh really. And who are you going to convince? How much money are you going to pay some small town guy to go out with this?" I joked, motioning up and down my body with both index fingers.

"I've got a few ideas…maybe Mike Newton, who you already know. I bet he'd take you out. Or maybe even this guy who's new in town. His name is Trey, I think. He moved from Texas, too. Maybe you guys could hook up," she trailed on, dabbing some yellow on her painting.

"Ugh, not Mike. He's a little too full of himself for my taste. But this Trey guy…did you say he's from Texas?"

"Yep. Some little whole in the wall town called Alvarado."

I laughed. "Alvarado, seriously? I actually know where that is. I knew some people from there. And I also know where it is because whenever we would go visit Dad, we would drive through there, and it is the absolute _worst_ speed trap in the state. The cops are like traffic Nazis there."

"Hmm. Maybe you know each other then and you just don't know it."

"I seriously doubt it. I only knew one family from there, and that's because they spent weekends in Whitney a lot," I shrugged it off as I took a glance over of my painting. My butterfly, surprisingly, didn't look that bad. It was perched on a grapevine with bunches of grapes around it.

* * *

~Later that day~

The rain let up finally, around five-thirty. Gerald took the guys to get some new hunting gear in Port Angeles, and Esther had gone to spend a few hours with a friend. So, since Gail and I were sort of abandoned, we decided to go with her original plan and take the horses for a ride. It had been years since I'd ridden the trails…

The forest was so beautiful in the after-rain mist. It was a little foggy, but not so much that we couldn't see it. Like I said, it was misty. Everything was so green and lush, and the air carried the irresistible scent of rain and damp earth. The only sounds that could beheard were mine and Gail's light discussion, our occasional laugh, and the sound of the horse's hooves in the moist dirt and grasses.

"This was a good choice. It's sooo nice in here. It kinda reminds me of home," I mentioned, as I admired a blue blossom entwined in a vine. Ginger, the horse that Esther had lent me to ride, neighed in contentment. She must have enjoyed getting out of the pin for a while.

"Yea, it guess it does sort of remind me of Whitney. Minus the horses," Gail said.

"I _do_ know people who had horses in Whitney, it's just that we didn't."

Our discussion was interrupted when the horses stopped dead in their tracks and started snorting in alarm. I patted my horse's neck to calm her. She must have gotten spooked by something, probably a branch cracking somewhere. It had rained for hours that day, and I'm sure the trees strained with the water weight.

"Chill, Morena, we're fine. There's nothing out here but us," Gail cooed to her horse, stroking her mane. She looked around calmly, wondering what could have spooked the horses, but there was nothing that we could see other than trees and moss.

Just then, a low rumbling growl ripped through the air. We both jumped when we heard it, and our horses flinched. "What the hell was that?" I asked, gripping the reins tightly in my hands.

"I'm not sure, hopefully nothing after us. I didn't bring much for defense, just a pistol. And I don't have many shots in it," Gail said, her voice shaking a little. We heard the rustle of bushes and then a deer leapt out at us, switching directions and bounding past our horses. Ginger and Morena bucked, but luckily Gail and I both held on to our saddles tightly. Both our horses dashed in different directions, desperate to get away from whatever frightened the deer.

Leaves whipped me in the face and mist pelted my face like tiny needles. I couldn't get Ginger to slow down, and I could feel her heartbeat racing. I couldn't tell where we were going, and nothing was recognizable. We must have been getting deeper into the forest, because the mist was getting thicker.

"Ginger, whoah! Slow down!" I tried pulling on the reigns, but her head just swayed back with it and she kept running. "Shit." This horse plainly had no intention of stopping any time soon. What the hell was that back there? It could have been a cougar, maybe. That could have freaked the deer, right? Just then, the horse skidded to a halt, nearly throwing me from her back. I clenched the horn of my saddle, one hand on my hat. I was surprised it had stayed on my head through the run. I looked at the horse. Her ears were twitching around franticly, searching for sounds of movement. Her eyes darted as she looked for anything uninvited.

I looked around us, looking for clues as to where we were, and hoping to hear Gail coming. But I heard nothing. Dead silence. I would have been okay with that if it weren't for the fact that something was quite possibly hunting us. Then I saw it. A tan colored cougar, less than ten feet away… and his yellow eyes were set on Ginger. I gulped loudly as it prepared to lunge at us. I couldn't move, and Ginger didn't see him. I was surprised she didn't smell him.

I literally froze on my mount.

In a split second, the saddle disappeared from beneath me, and I slammed to the ground, luckily landing in a soft fern instead of the fallen log to my right. But I wasn't lucky enough to miss the rock that my head smashed into. Spots clouded my vision and I could hear the pained screams of my horse. I heard the hungry growling of the cougar as my horse screamed in agony, butI couldn't move. I had lost all the feeling in my limbs and I couldn't even turn my head to see the last moments of my life. Then I heard another growl, one much deeper than the cougar's. Whatever it was had attacked the cougar; I could tell by the cougar's surprised yowls. I wished I could open my eyes to see what was happing…I knew that the cougar would finish me off after Ginger, if the other animal didn't get to me first. I felt tears trickle down my face as everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Recollection

Darkness. Damp earth clung to my skin like a satin sheet. Something warm and sticky was coating the left half of my face. What the hell? I felt something cold run down from my right shoulder and then to my right hip. Then I was flipped onto my back, and my head rolled to its side. I wanted to open my eyes to see what was happening. This was definitely the most bizarre dream I'd ever had. It had started off nice, with a relaxing ride with Gail, but then something spooked the horses and ended with me being thrown off of Ginger's back, and passing out to the sounds of her being killed. I shivered at the memories…Or was it from the cold that was touching my skin? I slowly opened my eyes, stinging as the mist met them.

My vision cleared and I looked up to see an angel. That must be it…an angel saved me in my dream. He was scanning over my body, checking for injuries, lightly touching my body in certain places to check. He lightly probed a tender place on my arm, and I sucked a large gasp through my teeth. His head shot up as his eyes met mine, and they widened as he realized that I was awake. I sucked in another gulp of air through my teeth as his face completely cleared to my vision. He looked just like Edward, the guy I had met in the music shop. His pale skin blended with the grey misty air and his amber eyes nearly glowed in the murky light of the forest. A piece of hair, heavy with moisture, fell over one eye, and a strange tingling feeling sparked in the place where his fingers still lingered on my arm.

"Edward?" I whispered, with as much of my voice as I could mutter. My eyelids felt heavy, and I barely felt strong enough to say his name. He looked down at me, the panic of my recognition fading into soft concern. He lifted a hand to my face, looking into my eyes and checking my pupils. His eyes then scanned over my head, where I'm guessing there was a break in the skin, because blood coated half of my face.

"Don't speak." He whispered, his voice gentle yet demanding. He continued to inspect my body for scrapes.

"Are you my angel?" I asked weakly. What other explanation was there? God had sent him to find me and carry me home to my aunt and uncle. At my inquiry, the man looked up to meet my eyes, a blank, deadened look flashing across his features. He pulled his hands away from me as if my skin had burned him, and I instantly felt cold…even though I had felt chilled when he touched me.

"No, I'm not," his velvet voice turned to stone in reply. I felt so tired from the exertion of speaking that my head fell back and I closed my eyes. I felt my breathing steady itself as the darkness enveloped me once again. Faintly I could feel two icy hands cradle me to something frozen and solid. Then I felt wind on my face, turning the layer of moisture on my skin into a thin sheet of ice.

* * *

I woke up to see sunlight streaming through my window. It was actually sunny! I smiled as I breathed in the soothing smell of cedar. I reached up to rub my eyes, but yelped when it hurt to move my arm. I looked down to see a large purple bruise on the inside of my elbow. Then I felt the aching feeling on my scalp. I reached up with my other arm to feel stitches under my hair. _What the hell_?

"Hey, she's awake!" I heard someone yell, followed by a stampede of footsteps. I could see Gerald, Esther and my cousins rush into the doorway. Then Andrew's smiling face popped into my line of vision. "Welcome back, Cuz."

I squinted at him in confusion. "Welcome _back_? Did I _go_ somewhere?" Everyone looked at each other and then looked back at me.

"Do you not remember anything of yesterday?" Gail asked, who was paler than usual. The girl was white as a sheet. Her eyes looked bloodshot, too. She must have been drinking. How nice of her to get shitfaced without me. Some cousin. Wait…why would she be drinking around the family? _Jesus, Ellie , did you hit your head or something?_ I looked back at Gail, nodding 'no' in response.

"I remember painting in your room. And I fell asleep at some point, and had a really twisted dream. We went riding through the woods and I got attacked by a cougar. That was a random dream…random and twisted," I rambled.

Esther sat on my bed, looking me dead in the eyes. "It wasn't a dream, sweetie. You really were attacked. Luckily someone happened to be hiking in the same part of the woods where Ginger had taken you, and found you passed out. They took you to the hospital. Dr. Cullen found me and told me you were in the E.R.," she paused, taking a few shaky breaths," I was so _afraid_…to see you so beat up and bruised, and the blood," she broke off, tears streaming down her face as she hid her face in my comforter. "I had no idea what had happened, and if you were going to be okay," her voice was muffled by the fabric. Gerald came up behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

"You really scared us, kid. We thought we'd lost you. When Gail called me and told me she'd lost you in the woods, we panicked. The boys and I rushed home and searched the woods, but we couldn't find you…we didn't know what to think."

"How far did you go? We searched forever and never saw a sign of where you had gone," Braiden asked, his green eyes shining. I looked at him, seeing the concern in his features.

"I really don't know. I just know that after the deer jumped out and spooked our horses, Ginger ran as fast as she could. I couldn't tell where we were when she finally stopped. But I know we were pretty deep into the forest, because the mist was so thick I could hardly breathe,"I said, narrowing my eyes in thought.

"Do you remember what happened?"Gerald asked gently.

I closed my eyes, the images of the event flashing before my eyes like scenes of a rolling movie. "After Ginger skidded to a halt, we sat there. Then I saw the cougar about ten feet away from us, but Ginger didn't know he was there. He leapt at us, and I was thrown from Ginger's back. I must have hit my head on a rock, because I blacked out after falling. And that's all I can recall." I saw everyone nodding their heads in understanding, before Gerald started ushering everyone out. I guess he could tell I wanted some time alone. Esther smiled down at me with her tearful eyes. She leaned in and placed a kiss on my forehead before getting up and leaving the room.

I laid there for about an hour, trying to persuade myself to get up and take a shower. I didn't really feel like I needed one, but I needed to feel the warmth it would provide. I sighed deeply and raised out of bed, grabbing some sweats and a towel before staggering to the bathroom. I turned on the water, letting it heat as I looked at myself in the mirror. It hadn't all been a dream. Everything that I remembered had _really_ happened. I ran a hand over my face, tracing where the blood had stained my skin after the attack. I leaned down a little so I could see the stitches on my scalp. Then something occurred to me.

If the attack was real, then _who_ found me? Had he really been an angel? Had Edward really found me and carried me to the hospital, or was it a stranger and my mind was only playing tricks on me? If Edward had been an illusion, then he was by far the most breathtaking illusion I had ever seen.

* * *

A/N

It's extremely short, and I apologize. I'll try to put up another one to compensate.

~Rhythmic5


	7. Author's Note

A/N

You're going to hate me, but I have to put this story on hold. I started writing it over the summer, but now that I'm rereading it, I don't really like where it's going. I may rewrite it, or I may discontinue it. I'm not sure yet. But I must thank those of you who have read it and enjoyed it. If I do decide to discontinue it, I will write something else to post in its place…I promise.

Peace,

Rhythmic5


	8. Chapter 7

A/N

Alrighty, updating time! I'm sorry it's been so long...I'm still trying to decide if I want to rewrite some of the story or just leave it as it is. But anyways, here's a chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Protection

A few weeks had passed since the accident. July had come and gone and now August was here, bringing along the sinking realization that I no longer had a home in Texas, and that I would be a senior at Forks High School instead of Whitney High. School started in a week, and Gail was convinced that I needed to start the year with a new look. Something "explosive", she called it. But I'm pretty sure if I walked into class on the first day with a bomb strapped to my chest and dynamites in my hands, I wouldn't last long in Forks. Sorry, I had my lame corny thought for the day.

One day Esther, Gail and I went to a small hair salon in Forks to get my hair trimmed. I didn't get much length taken off because I prefer my hair to be long. But I decided to get a couple of layers and get my bangs trimmed again…I liked side-swept bangs. Gail tried to talk me into highlights, but that was a definite no. We had also spent weeks buying school clothes, which consisted of Esther and Gail introducing me to new styles.

The week had passed as quickly as it came. Before I knew it, it was August twenty-fifth. I stood in front of the mirror, checking my reflection. I was wearing a dark pair of skinny jeans, and a turquoise button-up blouse. My hair was straightened and resting on my shoulders. I had applied a little foundation, mascara, a little eyeliner, and some brown eye shadow. I wasn't a big fan of lip color, so I just applied some clear lip gloss. I took in a deep breath and let it go…this was how I would look for my first day at Forks High.

The drive to school was short. The five of us piled into Andrew's truck and we peeled out of the driveway, speeding to town. When we pulled into the parking lot, I checked out the cars that were parked…typical high school student cars. Beat up old trucks, Honda civics from '95, and a rusty mustard yellow Volkswagen bug. Andrew's Ford stood out against the others pretty drastically.

"You should probably go to the front office to get your schedule," Andrew pointed out, pointing to one of the five buildings that was the school. "I'll see you guys after school, I'm going to show Ellie where the office is," he announced to the others as he grabbed my backpack and carried it on his shoulder since he only carried a binder.

When we walked into the office, Andrew walked to the front desk and was greeted by an older lady with her hair pulled into a tight bun. "Good morning, Andrew. Back for another year?" she smiled sweetly at him.

He gave her his all-star smile in return. "Yes ma'am, I'm back for my senior year. And my cousin is joining us," he said, patting me on the back. "She's new this year, and I offered to show her where the office was so she could get her schedule." He flashed another smile at her.

"What's her name?" she asked, pulling out a stack of paper schedules.

"Ellie Martens, ma'am," I answered, stepping forward. She grinned at me and thumbed through the schedules, pulling one out and handing it to me.

"Here you go, Miss Martens. Welcome to Forks High School." I muttered a small thanks as Andrew pulled me out of the office behind him, dragging me into a crowded hallway.

I'm not sure why I thought that Forks would be any different than Whitney. Whitney was a much smaller town than Forks, and in the high school everyone knew everyone. I didn't think about the fact that everyone would know I was new when I entered Forks High. But when I walked through the hall, walking through my schedule, I felt eyes scanning every inch of me. Some were teachers, memorizing my features incase they had me in a class. Some were boys, checking out the new chick, so to say. Others were the girls, summing me up in one look.

I said goodbye to Andrew before I walked into my first class: English. I found an empty seat beside a blonde haired boy with an emo swoop. He smiled at me. "Hey, I don't mean to be rude, but are you new here?"

"Yea, I moved here over the summer. I moved in from Texas," I smiled at him.

"Oh, a southern girl, eh? What made you move to Washington?"

"I came to live with my cousins, actually. You may know them. Andrew and Gail Kent."

I caught the slight flush in his cheeks when I mentioned Gail. I wondered if maybe they had a history together or something. But he had a good cover, and stretched forward his hand to shake mine. "Oh yea, I know them…we go way back," he smirked. "I'm Garret. And you're…"

I finished it for him, "Ellie." He smiled kindly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ellie. I hope you have a nice first day at Forks High." At that moment the bell rang and the teacher walked to the front of the class. She was a short blonde lady with square framed glasses and bright red lipstick. Did I mention she wore bright red lipstick? It. Was. Bright.

The class passed by smoothly, and next I was heading to Biology. Yuck. Science was my worst subject, next to algebra...or any other sort of math for that matter. I walked in and took a seat in the back of the class. I sat beside a girl who didn't seem to want me sitting there. She scrunched up her nose and looked away. Needless to say, this was going to be interesting. When the bell rang, the teacher popped up from behind his lab counter, pretty much scaring the crap out of everyone. None of us had even known he was in the room. He was tall and balding, with a small beard. Mr. Brummett. He stood up and scanned the classroom. After smirking he pulled out a roll sheet and started calling names.

"Before we get started, I'm going to give you assigned seats. When I call your name, I want you to sit where I tell you to go. Leslie Brown," a short girl with messy brown hair stood up with her books, "take a seat here in the front at table one. Beside her, I want Mike Newton." I groaned when I saw him walk over to sit beside her. I wasn't pleased to have a class with him. Since I had met him six years ago, he had been nothing but a jerk to me. After about ten names, he called my name. "Ellie Martens, have a seat at table 4. And beside her, Edward Cullen."

I silently moved to sit at the lab table I was assigned to, sitting on the stool. I heard the name of my lab partner, but didn't think twice until I felt a cold draft of air. I looked up, wondering what I'd felt, and caught sight of bronze hair. Then his head whipped around. It was him. We stared at each other the entire time that Mr. Brummett was giving instructions. I could feel his eyes boring into mine, and I didn't take a breath till a small smile spread across his lips. I didn't realize that the reason he was smiling was because I was completely oblivious to the question Mr. Brummett was asking me. I turned and jumped when I saw the teacher standing beside me, an eyebrow arched in question.

"I'm sorry to disturb your nap, Miss Martens, but I need to see your schedule." I tore it out of my binder and handed it him, trying to wipe the blush off of my cheeks. He scanned it over, initialed it, and handed it back. I caught the girl I had sat by on the other side of the class smirking at my mistake. Thankfully the bell rang and I headed to Spanish.

When I walked into Spanish, I saw name tags placed on the desks. I assumed we were supposed to sit where our name was placed, so I searched the rows for my seat. I found it, in between two guys. One, I already knew to be Garret from English class. The other one I didn't know. I froze when his eyes met mine. They were sea green with brown and caramel specks… absolutely mesmerizing. He had shoulder length brown hair, almost the same style as Andrew's. It looked irresistibly soft and I wanted to touch it…really badly. He smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Damn, I love my luck. I get to sit near my best friend _and_ a fox," he smirked, earning a snort from Garret. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. To be honest, I was a little offended, but at the same time amused. So I just took my seat and pulled out my schedule. I knew the teacher was bound to ask for it, so why not be ready?

"Forgive his bluntness, Ellie. This is my best friend, Trey. He is also new here..from Texas, coincidentally." My head shot up when I heard his name. This was the guy Gail mentioned to me. I looked over to see him staring at me, which would have been a little creepy if he wasn't so damn hot.

"So you're Ellie. I've heard about you. My sister had you in her first class, and she told me to watch out. I see why now," he said in a suave voice. Was this guy for _real_? I probably would have smacked him if he wasn't so pretty.

"Yea, you better watch yourself. My cousin here has what you call that southern charm." A smooth feminine voice said teasingly. And of course, it was my favorite wannabe matchmaker. Oh, I was going to KILL Gail. I looked up and saw her emerald green eyes sparkling mischievously. But it got even better. I glanced over to see Garret blushing under his bangs, but he managed to speak.

"You didn't mention that your cousin was coming to live with you," he said, looking up at her shyly through his bangs.

"I didn't know till she came to visit. It was a bit of a last minute thing," she said, winking at him. Oh yea, something was up here. I looked over to see that Trey had noticed it, too. He smirked.

"I hate to kill your mood here, but your seat is right next to me, Gail," he smirked even more as Garret shot a glare in his direction. Gail took her seat beside him, but I didn't notice the tiny folded piece of paper she slipped into his palm.

The rest of the day passed smoothly. I ended up having another class with Edward. And of course, I ended up sitting right smack dab next to him, again. I was happy to walk out to the parking lot (running would be more fitting for what I did), leaning against Andrew's truck when I found it. I waited there with my eyes closed, waiting for the others to get out. And then I felt it. Tingles shot through my veins, and a chill shot down my spine. I could feel his eyes on me and looked up to meet them.

He was across the parking lot, leaning his back against his car, his head turned to face me. I could barely see his golden eyes hidden beneath his messy hair, but I could _feel _them. I would have been thrilled to meet his gaze, but he was glaring at me. I jumped backward and smacked against the side of Andrew's truck, my palms flat against it. Why was he looking at me like that? His eyes almost looked black, but that must have just been a change in the light. Feeling awkward, I looked down at my watch to break the contact. When I looked back up, he was gone.

"Back in Black" blasted in the air as my phone rang. I slid it open to see that my best friend from home, Amanda, was calling me. I answered. "Hello?"

"El! How was your first day of school, girl?" she asked in her usual high pitched voice.

"It was alright. It's school." We carried on, talking about our classes and how her boyfriend was blowing her off lately. I didn't hear the joke she cracked because I heard the sound of screeching tires instead. I looked up in the direction of the screeching and froze.

Coming straight my way was a blue Ford Aerostar van. A guy I recognized was driving it, and he looked horrified as he tried to brake, but the brakes were locked and he was skidding towards me. No one heard my silent scream, and no one heard my silent plea. My cousins were nowhere near and Amanda was on the other end of the line, calling my name and wondering why I was breathing heavily into the phone. The van was less than twenty feet from me. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for it.

The phone fell from my hands, buzzing as Amanda screamed my name, with a thud as it hit the asphalt. I felt something solid and heavy collide with my chest, sending me flying backward onto the pavement. My head hit the ground and pain cracked through my body. I couldn't move, much less breathe. Something was crouching on top of me, and winding around my waist. I could feel cool air on my face. I opened my eyes slowly and squinted in confusion.

Edward was leaning over me, his arms wrapped around me in a protective stance. His face was inches away from mine, his eyes not leaving my confused gaze. Hadn't he been on the other side of the parking lot less than a minute ago? And _glaring_ at me? He broke away his gaze, scanning over me to check to see if I was hurt, and smiled lightly when he saw that I wasn't. Then I heard the screams around me. I looked up to see two teachers pulling the driver out of the blue van. Its entire front was crunched in. I turned to see that there wasn't a single scratch on Andrew's truck. What the _hell_? When I turned back to Edward, he was gone. How…in the HELL…did he disappear that quickly? The next thing I knew, Braiden was pulling me to my feet.

"Oh my God, Ellie, are you alright?" he asked, draping my arm around his shoulders and grabbing my waist to support me. All I can say is that it's a damn good thing I wasn't a big girl.

"Yea, I'm fine," I said, whipping my head around to look for Edward. But he was nowhere to be seen. Then a pair of hands started patting my hair and rubbing my arms. It was Andrew.

"Jesus, that scared the shit out of me. Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, trying to steady his voice. He looked up to see Gail and William sprinting across the parking lot in our direction, with the principal in tow.

An accident report was filed, I was drug to the hospital against my wishes, and Dr. Cullen checked me out just to tell me what I already knew…that I was fine. The rest of the day kind of passed by in a haze, since I was in shock from the accident. Throughout the entire day I kept getting flickering images in my mind of the oddly shaped dent on the front of the van, the perfect condition of Andrew's truck after the accident, and falling to the ground and finding Edward crouching over me in protection.


	9. Chapter 8

Trey

Saturday morning I woke up to the smell of bacon. Then I felt water being sprinkled on my face. I opened up my eyes in shock, expecting to see William with a squirt gun, but instead I saw my uncle.

"Gerry, I thought you were Liam."

"Oh, don't spoil my fun, kid. You've gotten through your first week of your senior year, so let's have some fun. He continued to squirt me in the face. I jumped out of bed, sharing his enthusiasm, and darted to the bathroom. I showered, dressed, and poked my head in Andrew's room to see if he was still in bed. I snickered as I saw Gerald hovering over a snoring Andrew, squirt gun in hand.

Esther was setting eggs and bacon on the table when I skipped into the kitchen. "So, how was your first week as a senior in Forks?"

"It wasn't bad…I met a few friends. And other than almost being smashed by a skidding van, it was great." I hadn't forgotten about being rescued by Edward. It was still fresh in my memory, and very bizarre.

"You're lucky that you didn't get hurt. That's the second accident you've had since you've been here. I'm wondering if you're just accident prone, El." She chuckled lightly. I shook my head, not being able to hide the grin. I had always been a bit of a klutz, but never had I been in accidents like the ones I'd had in the past two months.

After breakfast, I went back to my room. I needed to call Amanda back. She was probably freaked out after the call on Monday. I dialed her number and sat on my bed.

She picked up on the second ring. "El, what happened Monday?" She sounded slightly peeved.

"I was almost hit by a car." There was a short pause.

"Are you serious?"

"Yea, when I was talking to you, I saw a van skidding in my direction. The driver was trying to stop, but his brakes were locked." I didn't mention Edward getting me out of the way. "I barely moved in time."

"My God, were you hurt? Are you okay?"

"No, I walked away without a scratch. I'm totally fine," I paused, realizing how casually I was speaking about almost being killed. "So how was everything been?"

"It's been okay. " We continued chatting for about an hour. After that, I had lunch with the family and watched a movie with William and Gail. We were halfway through "Step Up" when my phone rang. It was a number that I didn't recognize. I'm not sure why, but Edward's face flashed across my mind. I slid it open.

"Hello?" I answered as I slid out the patio door to sit outside while I talked.

"Hi, is this Ellie?" That _wasn't_ Edward. What was that weird feeling in my stomach…was that disappointment that I felt?

"Yea, this is Ellie…who am I speaking to?" I asked cautiously.

"It's Trey," he said in a husky voice. Not Edward, but still nice.

"Oh, hey there. How did you get my number?"

"Well, I don't want to get her in any trouble, but your cousin gave it to me," he said timidly.

"Oh did she?" I giggled lightly. I would get her for this later.

"So," he cleared his throat nervously, "I was wondering if you would like to go out with me tonight."

Hmm. A date with Trey Bryant. I would be stupid to not at least give him a shot.

"We could make it a double date if you would like. Something tells me that Garret is into Gail," I could hear the grin in his voice.

"I like that idea. Let's make it a double date. You and me, and Garret and Gail."

"Alright then. Let's say eight o'clock. We'll pick you up. Does that sound good?"

I smiled and flushed a little. "That sounds great. I'll see you tonight then."

His husky voice replied back, "I'll see you tonight."

Butterflies exploded in my stomach as I slid my phone shut. I laid back on my bed and sighed. But then Edward's face flashed across my mind. I sighed again. I couldn't deny that I liked him. Even though I had only spoken to him twice, and been saved by him once, I liked him. But did he _only_ save me once? Was the angel who saved me from the cougar just an illusion?

But then his face flashed across my mind again, only this time, glaring at me in hatred. It was the way he looked at me Monday, minutes before saving me from the skidding van. Why did he look at me that way? Did I do something wrong to him in class? I heard footsteps rushing up the stairs, and broke out of my thoughts. I figured it was probably Gail.

"We have a double date with Trey and Garret tonight!" she squealed. It didn't at all surprise me that she had been eavesdropping. I think she was more excited about this than I was. Her green eyes were sparkling and her face was lit up brightly, with a healthy crimson flush in her cheeks. The girl was ecstatic.

"Yes we do. And I need you to help me decide what to wear," I asked her, biting my lip innocently.

"On it!" She skipped to my closet, going through different possible outfits. Eight o'clock rolled around before either of us knew it. We were sitting on her bed, both dressed and ready. I was wearing a denim skirt with a red camisole and a fitting denim jacket. I decided to cowgirl it up with a pair of brown boots. I just couldn't resist. Gail was wearing a pair of whitewashed jeans and a green peasant top. She strategically picked a green top to make her red hair pop. She looked nothing short of amazing and I was sure that Garret was going to love it. We heard the door bell rang and grabbed our purses, walking down the stairs.

The guys were in the living room, waiting for us. They were both wearing dark jeans. Trey was wearing a black button-up with the top two buttons undone…hot. I noticed that he was also wearing boots, only his were black. A few pieces of his brown hair were hanging over one of his eyes. This guy was just beautiful. But as I was admiring him, another image of Edward flashed across my face. Garret was wearing a grey and blue sweater vest with an ash grey collared shirt underneath it. They both looked great. We slowly descended to the last couple of steps and their eyes lit up when they saw us.

"Well, you look gorgeous. I'm glad I found a country girl here," he said, smiling at me.

"You look pretty nice, too. I like how we both decided to wear boots," I smiled back. He winked in response. We both looked at Garret. Gail was looking at him shyly, with her hands clasped together in front of her. Garret was mirroring her expression and biting his lip. It was adorable how shy they both were. I had never seen Gail act this way. Garret managed to get a grip on himself though, because he slowly walked up to her and handed her a lily.

"I brought you a lily, but its beauty withers in comparison to yours tonight," he said in a mock Shakespearean accent, grinning as she lifted the lily to her nose.

"Thank you… I love lilies. And it wouldn't be fair to not tell you how nice you look as well." They smiled at each other and I think I could actually _see_ the sparks flying. This was going to be a great night.

The date wasn't anything fancy, but it was fun nonetheless. We had a small campfire in Trey's backyard. We huddled together and made smores after making hot dogs. Like I said, nothing fancy. But it was fun, since none of us had done anything like that since we were younger. Then we laid out on quilts and gazed up at the stars. We found out a lot about each other while laying there. I found out that Trey had a country band back in Texas with his two cousins. He was a drummer, but also sang background vocals. I also found out that his sister, Peyton, was actually his twin, and that they had been triplets, but their brother died in a car accident when they were four. Garret ran cross country, played piano, and had a pet tarantula.

I realized that Trey was a really cool guy. I wasn't sure that I liked him beyond friendship, though. He was nice, talented, smart, fun, and beyond beautiful, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to be in a relationship with him. I could see that Garret and Gail were getting along really well. They were snuggled together the entire time we were watching the stars. Well, so were Trey and I…the difference was, Gail was snuggled_ into _him. And they both looked pretty damn comfortable. I think he kissed her on the cheek at some point. While watching them I realized they made a cute couple. I sighed against Trey's shoulder and smiled. He felt it and looked down at me.

"Would you like to go for a walk with me?" he asked.

I looked up at him and smiled. "Sure." He helped me up from the ground and put his arm around my waist, leading me back towards the trees. But it didn't feel like a potential boyfriend holding me. It felt more like a close friend. I wasn't sure how he felt about it though. We walked to the back porch and sat on a swing. He draped his arm over my shoulder and I scooted closer.

"Garret and Gail seem to be hitting it off. I think they really like each other," he said, looking into the night.

"Yea. They're cute together, don't you think?

He grinned. "Yea. They really are. I'll admit, I envy him at this point." Ouch. I know Gail was the knockout of the family, but geez.

I pulled away a little. Was he not enjoying our night together? Would he rather be with some other girl? Maybe one that was a little more willing to cuddle and kiss? Well sorry, but I had never been on a date, or had a boyfriend for that matter, and I wasn't just going to jump into it. He felt my hesitance and turned to look at me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice softening in concern.

"Would you rather be somewhere else? Am I not good company?" I asked bluntly. His eyes widened.

"Oh…no, I'm so sorry! That's not what I meant at all." He circled both arms around my waist and pulled me closer. "I just meant that I wish I could have that. I've never really had a good relationship with a girl before. Peyton is the only girl who has actually treated me like a person. Back home they all flocked over me either because I was a drummer in a band or because they were attracted to me. Whenever I went on dates, I found out they weren't genuinely interested in me. They were interested in my spotlight, and the attention they would get for dating me. After a while, I just stopped dating and stayed to myself. But when I got here, I thought that maybe I could keep my talent on the down low and maybe girls would be different."

"If it makes you feel any better, I've never even been on a date, much less had a boyfriend."

He looked at me in shock. "You're kidding me."

I shook my head. "Nope. Guys never gave me the time of day back home…which is why I've kinda been taking it easy tonight, because I'm not really sure how to act."

"I never would have known that if you hadn't told me. I can't believe you've never had a boyfriend…are the guys back home idiots or something?"

"You could say that," I said with a soft smile, laying my head on his shoulder.

"Can I be honest with you?" he asked, his voice timid and soft.

I removed my head from his shoulder and looked up at him. "Sure."

He looked down at his lap and sighed. "I like you, Ellie…a lot. I think you're one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. Not to mention one of the prettiest. But I'm not sure that I can be in a relationship right now."

I rested my hand on his arm and set my forehead against his shoulder. "It's okay. I was kind of thinking the same thing. I'm just not ready yet. I really do like you, and it's definitely not just because you're in a band…even though being a drummer is pretty hot," he laughed at this, "I'm not going to say that it wouldn't be possible someday. Just not now."

He placed his hand over mine and smiled at me. "So…friends?"

I nodded. "Friends."

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. Then he pulled away. "I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?"

I just looked at him and laughed. "Yes, you're allowed. Just because we're friends doesn't mean you can't give me a friendly, innocent kiss on the cheek or something."

He snorted. "Just checking. Not all girls are as fun and easy going as you are."

We both sighed simultaneously. Then we bust out laughing when we realized we had. We leaned against each other and talked together for the rest of the night until the guys took us home. Trey and I watched silently as Garret kissed Gail lightly on the lips. Then he winked at me and pecked me on the cheek. We said our goodbyes and the guys left.

When I laid down to go to sleep that night, I thought about the date with Trey. He was a really nice guy. If we both wanted to date, we probably would have made a good couple. He seemed to like me, and I know I liked him. But I just wasn't ready. Something in me was telling me to wait.

That night it wasn't Trey that I saw in my dreams. It was Edward, his golden eyes glowing in the darkness of my slumber.

* * *

A/N

Hope you liked it. I feel like I should mention again that this was the first fanfic I wrote. It's not finished, so the chapters to come may be progressivly better written.

Peace,

Rhythmic5


	10. Another Note From Me

To the readers of Lusting For Trouble:

Most of you should know that I was having some trouble with this story not too long ago. I'm still having a hard time making it work, and I'm just not feeling it anymore. I'm going to cancel the story, because there's no sense in continuing to write it when I'm not feeling it. I would rather just start over with a new fic for Twilight. It will most likely still be an Edward/OC pairing, so not to worry about that. I'm not sure when I'll write it...it may not be until the movie for New Moon comes out. Why? Because that may get my wheels to turning again so I can brainstorm, and write something that we can all enjoy.

I'm sorry for those of you who have been following this story, but it's better if I end this one now instead of it progressively getting weaker and weaker. Keep your eyes peeled for the new Twilight fic...i'll probably post an announcement either on my profile page or I'll post it here. Thanks to all of you who have given me great feedback for this story, and I hope you won't be too disappointed. I hope to see you all again when I start the replacement story.

Peace,

Rhythmic5


End file.
